RETURN TO SILENT HILL With Stars Irvine and Anderson in Live Action Sequel

In news that is still shocking to write, the revival of the Survival Horror classic Silent Hill continues to trudge down the hallway of nostalgia, taking a moment to stop at the silver screen. Christophe Gans (Brotherhood of The Wolf) is returning to the director chair, with newly announced stars Jeremy Irvine (War Horse) and Hanna Emily Anderson (Jigsaw, X-Men: Dark Phoenix) for a sequel to the rebooted Silent Hill film franchise: RETURN TO SILENT HILL. Said to be based on fan favorite Silent Hill 2, the film is set to launch in conjunction with the upcoming video game reboot.

Silent Hill, long thought abandoned to pachinko hell by it’s fans, made a shocking return to the scene in October 2022. Konami, the franchise’s owners since it’s inception, announced several new Silent Hill projects were in the works, including amongst them three games; one of these was a long rumored reboot/remake of Silent Hill 2. This still reads as a gutsy move, in my opinion, as skepticism runs high that a remake can recapture the feeling that the high point in the series reaches. However, producer Victor Hadida (Resident Evil and Silent Hill film franchise veteran), seems confident they can nail it.

“Christophe [Gans] and I have been working closely with our partners at KONAMI, as they update the video game, to also create a version of SILENT HILL for the theatrical audiences of today. You will still find the iconic monsters – but there will also be new designs. We are confident that this new film and KONAMI’s updated game together will propel the SILENT HILL franchise forward for years to come.”

Production is set for April, centered around Germany and parts of Eastern Europe. Star Jeremy Irvine, who has a back catalog of films from Spielberg’s War Horse, horror film The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death and even a musical, he seems a fit for a dramatic role like protagonist James. The acting chops of Hannah Emily Anderson fit here spectacularly, maybe moreso, as a veteran of the Saw franchise, as well as the TV series based on The Purge. Her role isn’t yet explicit, but it’s a fair wager that she’ll portray Mary, the long since passed away spouse of James, and I assure you that her status as dead is absolutely a concern. In the original story, James receives a letter from Mary that compels him to travel to the titular Silent Hill.

The film follows James, a man broken after being separated from his one true love. When a mysterious letter calls him back to Silent Hill in search of her, he finds a once-recognizable town transformed by an unknown evil. As James descends deeper into the darkness, he encounters terrifying figures both familiar and new and begins to question his own sanity as he struggles to make sense of reality and hold on long enough to save his lost love.

–Film Synopsis, Press Release

“RETURN TO SILENT HILL is a mythological love story about someone so deeply in love, they’re willing to go to hell to save someone,” explained director Christophe Gans. “I’m delighted to have the wonderful talents of both Jeremy Irvine and Hannah Emily Anderson take us on this journey into a psychological horror world that I hope will both satisfy and surprise fans of SILENT HILL.”

-Christophe Gans, Director

I’m excited to see this film, to be honest. If the story is approached with the right eye and appreciation, then I’m sure this will be a great entry point for new horror fans to engage this genre shifting franchise.